Patriots' Antonio Brown Reportedly Won't Be Placed on Commissioner's Exempt List

The New England Patriots are reportedly expecting to have Antonio Brown on the field Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. 

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Brown will likely play in Week 2 unless the NFL decides to step in or if the Patriots determine he doesn't yet have an understanding of their game plan:

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Brown is going to be eligible to play Sunday because he won't be placed on the commissioner's exempt list "at this point."

Brown's playing status has been uncertain in the wake of a federal lawsuit filed by former trainer Britney Taylor, who accused him of raping and sexually assaulting her three different times between June 2017 and May 2018, per Ben Shpigel of the New York Times. 

Schefter added the NFL has opened an investigation into the allegations against Brown, which will include an interview with the Patriots receiver and Taylor. 

Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson reported Thursday that the NFL preferred to decide quickly whether or not to place Brown on the commissioner's exempt list. 

Robinson noted Brown's situation is different than previous instances when the commissioner's exempt list has been used because those cases involved criminal allegations rather than a lawsuit. 

In a statement released through lawyer Darren Heitner, Brown said he denies "each and every allegation in the lawsuit" and intends to "pursue all legal remedies" to clear his name. 

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, neither the Patriots nor Oakland Raiders were unaware of the allegations against Brown because part of the discussions with Taylor included an agreement to keep it confidential until she filed her lawsuit. 

The Raiders acquired Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers in March. He was released by the Raiders on Saturday and agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots that same day. 

On Wednesday, Brown practiced with New England for the first time.